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Let's say a man wanted to go try to hunt Piney Island to get some mergansers or an 8 ounce bufflehead or something crazy like that.....

Where would you folks suggest launching? This is a small duck rig so the closer the better to the island. Launching at the St Mks lighthouse is too far. I know of one option -- Wakulla Beach. Is Spring Creek any closer? Any other ideas? Thanks.

I think it's part of the St Marks Refuge Panacea Tract and subject to special requirements:

http://www.fws.gov/saintmarks/huntinginfo.html

To answer, Bottoms Road or Mashes Sands off of 319.

Bottoms rd landing. 200 yards to Piney Island.
BOLO for Wevans. He's crazy.

bottoms rd. is the closest.watch out for the low tide and a north wind you could be there a while.we usually hunt outside the island so you wouldn't need the permit.

I remembered later at one time I had launched outta Mashes Sands.

Couple yrs ago I got the permit online. Now the Refuge site seems to say no permit needed to hunt ducks.

I have a very skinny tiny boat and long tail so lowish tides arent end of world but well remember low tide there as a kid.

blue dolphin...protected the entire ride

SHOWBOAT wrote:blue dolphin...protected the entire ride

Sounds gay.

Blue Dolphin can have issues worse than Bottoms if the tide is low. Follow the channel if you go out of Bottoms.

Here is the link to regulations:

http://www.fws.gov/southeast/pubs/smkhnt.pdf

No permit required for duck hunting.

I hate high tides worse than low tides at Bottoms on a high tide, ya gotta put half yer truck in the water to get the trailer deep enuff ta float the boat a negetive low and a North wind can make things interesting, trying to get across the sand bar that's between Bottoms and Piney but there is a shallow channel that runs through it and if a boat don't draft much it will float through it I generally figure if the sand bar shows some water on it, I have at least 6 inches of water ta run through at WOT and if I hit, I usually have sufficiant speed to slide on across it course ya gotta know where that little ol channel is at fer that ta work

Monday around noon, the water at Blue Dolphin extended a whole 3 feet before the ramp dropped off. Luckily I have a slick coat on the bottom of my boat and just pushed it off the trailer. Hunted from 1-5pm and got 5 buffies. Shot everything that came into the decoys. Ducks were not flying while I was there.

Thanks for the info. Never heard of Blue Dolphin. Can anyone elaborate? Is it a paved ramp? I dont have 4wd.

Blue Dolphin is the name of the road the ramp is on. Its a private ramp for the Oyster Bay community.

Bottoms is the closest to Piney.